The Man Who Lives
By: PenPatronus

Author's Notes: Never fear, Olivia, there will be Hermione drama soon. Ten chapters (well, 11 actually), whoo! It's miraculous that I haven't abandoned this yet! PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 10:

Draco's Ultimatum

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy." –Harry to Neville (1, 218)

At the Gryffindor try-outs, Harry had unceremoniously announced that he was stepping down as Quiddich captain and had promoted Ginny (the news was new to her), his reasons based on the fact that Chasers are more involved in the game than the Seeker, that he wouldn't be able to lead when concentrating on the Snitch.

"Gee Harry, thanks! You do realize you've just given my little sister the opportunity to torture me!" Ron had exclaimed in protest. "She'll be worse than Fred and George!"

Ginny later admitted that Charlie had once told her that was why his team was so bad when he was in charge. Seekers just weren't strategic for captainship.

Harry was a nervous wreck the entirety of their first practice with Ginny watching him so much. During a break she rubbed his hair until it stood up even further than it was wind-blown. She said she liked it that way and Harry promptly swore to himself that he would never again try to fix it.

And meanwhile…

Meanwhile Hagrid returned. Meanwhile Dumbledore was preparing to leave the school. Meanwhile Halloween came and went, Dean and Ginny separated, students were yanked from Hogwarts by their parents and Harry's grades dropped as anything outside the war became inconsequential. Meanwhile Ron's health was declining with no foreseeable cause. When Hermione wasn't in the library she was often in their dorm room where it would be just the three of them separated from the rest of the castle, isolated and together.

-------

In the beginning of November, the first Quiddich match of the season was Gryffindor verses Slytherin. The previous months had been building suspense. For his part, Harry was all the more anxious because Remus was there to watch him play.

Harry was nearly grateful for Ron's illness because it allotted the Weasley twins plenty of time and excuses to work with the Gryffindor beaters. Orlando and Luke were fierce during the team practice on Friday, and quite frankly clobbered Remus who'd been defending the opposite hoops. Remus wasn't a bad Keeper, but Ginny was an excellent Chaser, and the other two, Elspeth Hodges and Ruth Pierce were equally light and fast. Ron was pacing back and forth in front of his hoops, doing impressively well flying considering he could barely stand half the time. Harry checked on him every few minutes, and got a thumbs up each time.

Hermione was a wreck the morning of the match. She didn't even pester the boys to eat breakfast because she hadn't touched her food either. Half-way through the meal, Madam Pomfrey showed up and force fed Ron a quarter bottle of some pain-killer liquid that smelled like a mixture between Pumpkin juice and Hagrid's socks. Ron was still sputtering while he and Harry changed into their robes. Hermione had followed them down to the locker room, muttering all the way.

"…be careful, ok? You're sick, Ron, so if one of those red things is too far out of reach just let it go, all right? Harry will catch the Snitch and you'll win no matter how many times the red thing goes through those round things. And Harry, this is the first match since you named Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's parents as Death Eaters so they'll be out for you—"

"Hermione!" both boys sputtered.

"Honestly!" she hissed back. "I just want you to be careful; it kills me to watch you both up there!"

"Er, Hermione, we have to go change now," Ron pointed at Hermione's feet which had followed them through the locker room door. "Why don't you go sit in the stands and read Memorizing Memorable Memories to distract you from Harry and me risking our lives, ok?"

Hermione huffed, trying to cover up the blush that had bloomed across her face. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, if you get hurt I swear I'll erase your memory of how to fly a broomstick!"

"She probably could, ya know?" Ron stated while he and Harry stretched. "All she's done lately is read those memory books! I saw the homework she handed into McGonagall the other day—her hand writing was sloppy!"

-------

"Good luck, mate!" Ron called to Harry when the team began doing laps around the pitch to warm up. A quarter of an hour later, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and Harry aimed his broomstick for the sky. Not two seconds into the game, Dennis Creevey announced that Slytherin had scored. Flabbergasted, Harry looked down to see that Ron hadn't even made it to the hoops yet. Ron cursed which oddly caused Harry to smile. He couldn't imagine not seeing a red-headed Weasley in the team below him…

"Tired yet, Potter?" Draco Malfoy's icy voice taunted from behind Harry. Harry pulled his broom up level with Draco, as Dennis announced that Ginny Weasley had scored. Harry glared at that cocky grin. "Weasley's doing pretty good down there!"

Harry risked a glance at Ron.

"Not bad considering he'll be on his death bed…I had such high hopes. Didn't know Weasley had it in him."

"There's a lot in him that people don't know about," Harry growled. Just then a Bludger soared between the two Seekers, allotting Harry an extra moment of consideration before he "accidentally" aimed a Wandless Magic splintering charm at Malfoy's broom. Below them, Ron made a spectacular save which involved him head-butting the Quaffle into Ginny's hands. Harry grinned and was about to rub it in Malfoy's face when the Slytherin flew in near his head.

"By the way, Potter, you and I need to have a conversation…right now." But Draco flew away before Harry could voice his confusion. It was ten minutes and ten points for each team before Malfoy ventured into Harry's earshot again.

"If you're trying to distract me from finding the Snitch, it won't work."

Draco snorted, "Shut up, Potter. I have information for you."

Harry frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I know something that could save all of our lives."

Malfoy darted downward just then and Harry, in a panic, followed him, thinking he'd seen the Snitch. But Draco swooped skyward again, cackling. "Glad I have your attention, Potter, meet me over the Hufflepuff stands the next time Slytherin scores. And act normal! I don't want people to think we're actually being civil!" With that, Malfoy flew away, leaving Harry honestly wishing that Ron would screw up.

He did, but not for another twenty minutes. Harry hovered beside him before Madam Hooch could toss the Quaffle back in. "You feel all right?" Harry asked Ron, who was gasping for breath.

"Fine, Harry. Any sign of the Snitch yet?"

"Not a flutter." Harry was lying. He'd spotted a Snitch-shaped lump under one of the Ravenclaw banners that was crawling zigzags beneath the fabric. Harry knew that the only chance he could talk to Malfoy was during a Quiddich game. Even if they met at 3am in the empty halls there was still a chance of being overheard.

And he knew that any "information" Draco Malfoy had would undoubtedly be very valuable.

"Keep at it, Ron," Harry patted his best friend on the shoulder as play resumed. Malfoy was already at their meeting spot, his back to Harry.

"The only reason I'm telling you this, Potter," Malfoy said once Harry had drifted into earshot, "Is that you know the right people, you have no legal obligation to turn me in, and because you can give me something I want…Not to mention I know where you sleep, and who all of your loved ones are." Harry cringed. Ginny scored and flew up to slap Harry a high five.

"You know what Voldemort's up to."

"I merely know what his next move is."

"If he keeps you informed, why haven't you warned us before? About the Quiddich World Cup, about the biological weapon—"

"The Dark Lord updates my mother, Potter, I just happened to overhear a Death Eater in my fireplace during the summer."

"Tell me what you know."

"Costs first, Potter."

"What do you want?"

"My father back, freed and pardoned and left alone. I want you to talk directly to this weasel minister of yours."

"I can't guarantee that!" Harry watched the Snitch weave between pieces of grass. A voice that was definitely Hagrid yelled at Harry but he ignored him.

"Oh you will, Potter. This is worth it, that I can guarantee. And if you act without freeing my father, I'll tell the Death Eaters that the Ministry knows they're coming. The Aurors will be dead before they reach the water." Just then, Malfoy spotted the Snitch. Harry heard Hermione scream as Ginny was knocked off her broom only to be caught by Ron. Slytherin scored again.

"Let's both dive for it, but miss," Harry offered out of the corner of his mouth.

"I'll meet you at the South corner the next time there's a foul." Draco dived before Harry could nod.

"All right all right," Harry shouted at Draco a half-hour later, "I'll do what I can, now tell me."

"Let's just say, Potter," Draco didn't look at Harry. He ran his skinny fingers through his blonde hair and sighed. He looked skinnier in his green robes. "That whether the Ministry releases my father or not, he'll be free."

Harry froze in midair. He swallowed whatever had lodged itself in his throat that he had forgotten to chew.

"Azkaban."

"No shit."

"When? How?"

"I think that will cost extra, Potter—"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Throw the match, Potter, let me catch the Snitch."

"No way!"

"You'd consider letting a notorious Death Eater go free but hesitate about a little Quiddich game?"

Harry winced. For once, Draco Malfoy had a point.

"Fine. Just try not to take all bloody day!"

"Deal. Three weeks from Thursday: Midnight. They're going to free the Azkaban prisoners, using the dementors as their first wave of attack. Once all of the Auror guards are stuffed in the cells, or Kissed, Voldemort is going to use Azkaban to imprison whoever he captures. It might also serve as the Death Eater's headquarters." Malfoy twisted his broom up to look at Harry fully in Lily's green eyes. "Once Voldemort has a place to really settle down in and use as a rallying point and a dementor-guarded fort, then the war will truly begin." A blush of fury unlike Harry had ever seen in Draco's face before rose from chin to hairline. "Then nothing will ever be the same again, and there will be suffering, on both sides. Everyone, in one form or another, will suffer."

Draco grinned then, his usual, cocky smile that Harry was much more comfortable with as opposed to the serious Draco Malfoy he'd encountered anew in the past minute. "Thanks for the Snitch, Potter, I'll be sure to acknowledge your efforts when I'm holding the Cup…And I'll expect an Owl from my father within a week." Malfoy gave a mock salute, and was about to zoom into a lower level when Harry spoke up.

"Malfoy! Why are you helping us?"

It was a long moment. In the background, one of the Gryffindor Chasers scored, only to be nailed by a Slytherin Bludger. Malfoy had stopped in mid-air, his back to Harry. Another long moment was on the tail-end of the first before Malfoy heaved an uncharacteristic sigh and spoke barely loud enough to be heard.

"I'm not my father, Harry."